Unfortunately, many Metal fans today make choices of what to hear by genres, and it's a total waste of time. The best thing to do is to hear and check if the band can satisfy your personal taste, and not to read if it's a band that fits on a determinate genre. That's the core of the endless non sense explanations about the refusal of many to praise the value of Modern Metal genres. And they will keep blind and deaf to good releases, as "Baptize", the new album from the North American quintet ATREYU.

Their music can be explained as a mix between 80% of Metalcore with 20% of a blend of other Modern Metal genres (something from Industrial Rock, New Metal and others), with a deep melodic and accessible sense (in a way that can hook the listeners with one simple hearing). But these guys really know how to sound greasy and heavy, with many bone stomping parts with a clean influence of Groove Metal. And although complaints can arise from many, they're a pretty good band, and this album kicks!

The album's producer is John Feldmann, who worked with the quintet previously. And the final result is a sound quality that is clean and defined in a way that's not usual for Modern Metal ways (the greater part of the bands prefer something greasy in the chords tunes), what allows the melodic and accessible parts to be fully understood. But at the same time, the oppressive weight is amazing throughout all the songs. And to give a different touch, some guests appear on the songs, as Jacoby Shaddix of PAPA ROACH on "Untouchable", Matt Heafy of TRIVIUM on "Oblivion", and Travis Barker of BLINK-182 on the drums on "Warrior".

The experience of more than 20 years playing erases any wrong ideas that the lineup changes can bring to the fans (because the singer Alex Varkatzas left the band, and Brandon Saller took the duty for himself), because "Baptize" is a blow in the face. It is stated clear by songs as "Baptize" (the fine use of effects and the clean vocals are really great), the abrasive groove contrasting with clean melodic moments heard on "Save Us", the modern accessible New Metal approach on "Broken Again" (fine guitars, indeed, and what a chorus), the musical accessibility of "Weed" and "Dead Weight", the catchy melodies of "Catastrophe" (sharpened by a brutal rhythmic work of bass guitar and drums), the bone crushing contrasts between weight and melodies of "Fucked Up" and "Untouchable", the overload of melodies of "Oblivion" and "Warrior".

Maybe some fans can complain due its accessible appeal, but no one can deny that "Baptize" is a great album, and shows that ATREYU is ready for new conquests.